Fiberglass Hard Tops and Enclosures for Boats

Adding Fiberglass Hard Top Or Enclosures To Your Yacht Will Give You A Place To Stay Cool Even On Hot Days, And A Comfortable Area To Relax

Advantages of Boat Hard Tops and Enclosures:

Protection from the sun (more shade)

Protection from rain

Let light in, but keep heat out

When You Get An Enclosure Or a Fiberglass Hard Top From Foster’s Yacht Service, You Get A Durable, Custom Addition That’s Designed To Match Your Vessel Perfectly

At Foster’s we always follow a detailed process to ensure that your boat hard tops or enclosures are done exactly right.

We provide options and ideas regarding what would be the perfect complement to your yacht. This includes considerations through the entire process – from the style, design, material, all the way down to the final gel coat finish.

Our Process To Achieving The Perfect Fit For Your Boat Hard Top or Boat Enclosure

Step One: Choose the style of hard top or marine enclosure you want for your yacht. You might already have a good idea about the style you prefer, but it is also usually a good idea to ask us if we might have a recommendation for you as well. That way, you can be sure you’re getting the best fit for your vessel.

Step Two: Once you decide the style and type of enclosure you want, we will help you put together a set of drawings. This will include specifics regarding the measurements, size, structure, and other details.

Note: This type of fabrication work requires a lot of years of experience; the project includes adding a new structural component to your vessel, and once that is complete, it requires a knowledgeable expert to finish the paint and polish to match the original finish. Be absolutely certain that all drawings and styling concepts have been approved at the onset of the project.

Step Three: With measurements in hand, we will fabricate a template and a mold from those drawings. We will use the mold to create the parts necessary for your hard top or enclosure.

Step Four: When we have completed your mold, we will to create your laminate schedule consisting of all the layers of fiberglass and core required to construct the hardtop or enclosure.

Step Five: Concurrent with step four, it may be necessary to integrate some additional work into the layered fiberglass and the core, such as the wiring necessary for your desired lighting or electronics, hard points for any installations, through bolting, and any De-coring for wire runs or light bases to be fitted and installed before we apply the primer and paint.

Step Six: We can now begin to fit the new molded part to your vessel. The fitting process requires some careful shaving or grinding away excess material or making any other appropriate adjustments to achieve an exact fit. All of this fitting and fine tuning will be completed prior to sending the new part over for primer and paint.

Step Seven: Now that the new part is fit properly it is time to send it to the painting team for a new coat of epoxy primer and color match paint. The Foster’s team always follows the correct procedures to achieve an ideal paint finish (Click Here To View Paint Procedure). Allow an appropriate amount of time for the paint finish to dry completely before taking the next step.

Note: Many hardtops or enclosures require an anodized aluminum frame or stainless steel supports to hold the new piece in place above the flybridge, or to attach to the back of an arch. If your hard top or enclosure requires a frame or supports, make sure these structural supports are fitted and installed prior to fastening the hardtop in place, since these support pieces often require additional bolts and caulking onto the frame, and it is difficult if not impossible to complete these steps after the new piece is in place.

Step Eight: Once the paint is dry, it is time to install the new piece. The final product should have a color match to your yacht that makes it appear like the new hardtop or enclosure came with the vessel originally.